🎙 Laura Looks for Her Ikigai — Finding Purpose After a Career ChangeIn this episode, Laura dives into the Japanese concept of ikigai — the balance between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Often translated as “a reason for being,” ikigai is about finding deeper meaning and motivation in your daily life.After leaving a 26-year career in corporate finance, Laura has been on a journey to discover her own ikigai — exploring how her passions for endurance sport, wellness, and community might align with her professional skills in leadership, mentoring, and project management to come together in a new project that will help other women ready to make big steps in life.She shares what it really feels like to navigate a midlife career change, including the uncertainty, excitement, and freedom that come with reinventing yourself. This episode is a candid reflection on how to find purpose and direction after stepping away from a long-term career.✨ In this episode:What ikigai means and how to apply it to your own lifeHow to find purpose after leaving a corporate careerWhy self-discovery and career transition take timeHow joy, curiosity, and experimentation lead to clarityThe importance of aligning values with work and wellbeingIf you’re exploring your next chapter, rethinking your career, or looking to reconnect with what truly motivates you, this episode will inspire you to find your own reason for being.💬 Join the conversation: Have you found your ikigai? How has your sense of purpose changed through different life stages? Share your story with Laura — she’d love to feature your experience in a future episode.https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/Or [email protected] up to the Substack newsletter - https://lgtl.substack.com/📝 Sources Hector Garcia & Francesc Miralles book ‘Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’Thomas Oppong’s article https://thomasoppong.com/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life-might-just-help-you-live-a-more-fulfilling-life/Forbes career change at 40 article https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2023/10/21/how-to-make-a-successful-career-change-at-40/Teachable article on how to build and audience without social media https://www.teachable.com/blog/build-audience-without-social-mediaMel Robbins podcast on the Odyssey Plan https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Bf1D8TuxAgInKn44aRetY?si=c4bd245cf7d945ad#ikigai #findingpurpose #careerchange #careertransition #womeninmidlife #lifebeyondcorporate #selfdiscovery #wellbeing #midlifereinvention #laurarunsthelongwayround

In this episode, Laura gets real about what it’s like to be an older dog learning new tricks. Training for Ironman while working full time left her wondering how anyone manages to also create polished social media content. She talks about the reality behind those “day in the life” reels, and why sometimes it’s okay if the only record of your training is simply… showing up for yourself.From there, Laura dives into the bigger picture: how goal-setting and vision boards helped her imagine a different kind of future, and how imposter syndrome crept in once she stepped away from 26 years in corporate finance to explore a possible new career in sport and wellness.But there’s joy, too — in the freedom to experiment, to try things just for the sake of it, and to see what sticks. Even if not everything works out, the act of exploring is valuable in itself.✨ In this episode:The hidden challenge of “content pressure” in the age of social mediaHow tools like goal-setting and vision boards can bring clarityThe imposter syndrome of starting over in midlifeFinding joy and freedom in trying new paths, even without guaranteesLaura also calls out to other women who have switched industries — whether by choice or necessity — and invites you to share your stories on the podcast. Because change can feel less daunting when we know we’re not the only ones doing it.📩 If you’ve made a big career switch (into sport, wellness, or beyond), Laura would love to hear from you. Get in touch to be part of a future episode!

In this episode, Laura takes us back to 2014, when she first packed up her life and moved to London — without knowing exactly what she was moving toward, only that she was excited for something new.She shares the ups and downs of building a life in a city that can be both electrifying and isolating, the different neighbourhoods she called home, and the surprising places where she found real connection.Through house shares, running clubs, work friends-turned-family, and moments of loneliness in the middle of crowds, Laura reflects on how her sense of home evolved — and how the friendships she built over the years became her real anchors in the city.🗺 In this episode:Laura moves to London, but finds it’s not quite the life she’d imaginedThe places she lived — and what each taught herHow she made close friendships as an adult in a big cityThe difference between being surrounded by people and feeling knownTop tips for making your own new life, wherever that may beWhether you’re new to a city, missing your people, or reflecting on how place shapes identity, this episode is for you.📩 Got a story to share? Send Laura a message or voice note — she’d love to hear it.https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/Or [email protected] the Substack blog - https://lgtl.substack.com/

In this deeply personal episode, Laura shares what it was like to be diagnosed as autistic at age 44 — in the middle of ultramarathon training and while trying to rebuild her career after burnout.She talks honestly about the diagnosis process, the clues she missed (or masked), and the enormous relief of finally having a framework for understanding how her brain works. From sensory sensitivity to social exhaustion, Laura explores what it means to navigate endurance sport — and life — as a newly diagnosed autistic adult.This episode is about unmasking, accepting, and learning how to live and move in a way that feels authentic, instead of performative.🧠 In this episode:The autism diagnosis process in adulthood: what to expectStimming & special interests, what those are and why they’re not so scaryLaura’s own autistic traits How ultramarathon training can support (and challenge) a sensory-sensitive nervous systemBuilding a life and career that works with her brain, not against itIf you’ve ever felt like you were playing a role in your own life, this episode is a quiet permission slip to stop — and start coming home to yourself.📣 Mentioned:When stimming becomes self-harm https://seeingdoubleautismawareness.wordpress.com/2015/08/14/autism-and-self-harm/Autism diagnosis (UK) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/getting-diagnosed/how-to-get-diagnosed/Special interests https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/about-autism/focused-and-dedicated-interestsMy favourite cosy YT https://www.youtube.com/@AuticateMy own Substack article with links to more autism resources https://substack.com/@lauragoestolondon1/p-164476826

In this episode, Laura shares the story of how training for an Ironman — the ultimate endurance challenge — became a turning point far beyond sport.What started as a physical goal gradually revealed deeper truths: chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and the creeping signs of burnout. As her training intensified, so did the disconnect between her values and her corporate finance career. Eventually, the Ironman finish line didn’t just mark a personal achievement — it marked the beginning of a major life change.Tune in as Laura reflects on:What Ironman training taught her about resilience, identity, and limitsThe subtle but powerful signs of burnout she almost missedHow endurance sport gave her the clarity and courage to leave a secure, successful job in search of something more alignedThis is an honest, vulnerable look at what happens when your body is strong, but your spirit is running on empty — and how choosing change can feel as radical as crossing a finish line.📩 Got a story about sport and career crossroads? Send Laura a message — she’d love to hear from you.https://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/Or email [email protected]

In this first episode, Laura shares the story of how running entered her life — and how it gradually became much more than a fitness routine. From early struggles to marathon finish lines, she reflects on the way running helped her build resilience, navigate stress, and support her mental health through major life transitions.Laura also talks about how her WHY has evolved over time — from proving something, to finding peace, to feeling fully alive. Whether you're just starting out or deep into your own running journey, this episode invites you to reflect on the deeper reasons we lace up and keep going.LinksRUNNING WON'T SAVE YOU PODCAST https://open.spotify.com/show/2Iw3M1Y2gpV0D6VisUO3h4?si=8841d373b1de4257CONTACT LAURAYou can leave a voice note or message me on either of these accountshttps://www.instagram.com/laura_goes_to_london/https://www.instagram.com/what_do_i_do_now_then_pod/Or email me at [email protected]